The present invention relates generally to the field of handling and release mechanisms, and more specifically to a positive retention and selectively releasable mechanism utilizing the resilient deflection of elongated members to effect retention and release of aircraft stores.
Present combat aircraft employ a number of different types of weapons such as, for example, missiles, rockets, bombs, etc., which are referred to as stores. In addition, other objects such as auxilliary fuel tanks and mounting racks, to name just a couple, are suspended from the underside of aircraft during flight. A number of devices are currently used to secure these various stores and objects to the aircraft. One type of device which is widely used is a pair of rotatable hooks within the aircraft which selectively engage and release lug rings mounted on the store. Examples of such devices are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,722,944, 3,799,478 and 3,982,466. While this arrangement is relatively simple, the store is free to rock back and forth once it is latched to the aircraft. To overcome this relatively dangerous condition, especially aboard an aircraft carrier that is constantly pitching, yawing and rolling, sway brace assemblies must be employed to restrain movement of the store after it is latched. One example of such an assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,528. Other release mechanisms, such as the explosively driven mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,546,999, could also possibly be used, but each has some disadvantage which makes its use not fully desirable.
It is a further requirement that most stores be forceably ejected away from the envelope of the aircraft during flight so as not to interfere with the aerodynamics, especially at supersonic speeds. To achieve this object, launcher (or ejector) mechanisms are employed which forceably eject the store from the aircraft at the proper attitude, speed, etc.. Examples of such launcher (or ejector) systems can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,756,545, 3,799,478, 3,883,097, 3,898,909, 3,936,019 and 4,008,645. It should be understood that the present invention does not include provision for such a launcher (or ejector) mechanism, but is contemplated to be fully compatable with existing mechanisms of various types.
Accordingly, it is a general purpose and object of the present invention to provide a novel positive locking retention and release mechanism which is of relatively low weight, small size and low cost, is simple to operate and substantially reusable. It is a further object to provide such a mechanism for retaining and selectively releasing aircraft stores in a safe and reliable manner. It is still a further object to provide such a mechanism which cannot be accidently actuated to a locked condition by the attempted engagement of a misaligned object, or readily be actuated by tampering.
These and other objects are accomplished according to the present invention by a mechanism for selectively retaining and releasing an object, which mechanism generally includes plunger means, tubular pin means, collet means, wedging means, retaining means, bushing means, biasing means and elastic means. The plunger means includes first and second recess means, the first recess means being adapted to carry the elastic means. The tubular pin means surrounds the plunger means in slideable relationship therewith, and includes recess means on the inside surface thereof which selectively register with the elastic means and the plunger means first recess means. The pin means further includes a bearing surface adjacent a first end thereof, an opening adjacent a second end thereof and a shank portion between the bearing surface and the opening forming a recess with respect to the bearing surface. The collet means surrounds the pin means and includes a deflectable portion with a protuberance adjacent a first end thereof, the protuberance having a first bearing surface formed to cooperate with the pin means bearing surface, and a second bearing surface. The collet means further includes recess means therein spaced from a second end thereof. The wedging means is carried in the pin means opening and is formed to selectively register with the plunger means second recess means and the collet means recess means. The retaining means is operative to slideably retain the pin means to the collet means between a first retained position and a second released position relative to the collet means. The bushing means is formed to be attached to the object and includes driving means for exerting an axial force on a first end of the plunger means, and means for camming the collet means deflectable portion toward the pin means shank portion when initially engaging the object. The bushing means also includes means thereon adapted to cooperate with the second bearing surface on the collet means protuberance to retain the object in the first retained position of the mechanism. In this first retained position, the wedging means registers with the collet means recess means and a surface of the plunger means, the elastic means registers with the pin means recess means to fix the pin means, collet means and plunger means with respect to each other, and the pin means bearing surface contacts the first bearing surface on the collar means protuberance. In the second released position of the mechanism, the means on the bushing means for retaining the object is operative to deflect the collet means deflectable portion toward the pin means shank portion in order to release the object. In this second released position, the plunger means is shifted to a position allowing the wedging means to register with the plunger means second recess means and a surface of the collet means, and causing the pin means bearing surface and the first bearing surface on the collet means protuberance to separate from each other to allow the collet means deflectable portion to deflect.